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Floodplains

Flood risk in NSW

Managing flooding is an important priority for the State Government and local councils in NSW. All local government areas in the state are exposed to some flood threat, whether from rivers or local overland flow, and damage caused by flooding can be significant. More than 100,000 buildings are at risk of flooding in NSW, and the average damage from flooding in coastal New South Wales and inland urban centres is around $200 million a year. Major floods have occurred regularly in NSW as highlighted in Table 1.

The impacts upon the community can be devastating. For example, flooding in the Lower Hunter in 1955 caused more than $700 million damage, $65 million worth of damage was caused in Nyngan in 1990, Coffs Harbour suffered $40 million in damage in 1996, and Wollongong had more than $100 million in damage in 1998. These floods also resulted in a number of deaths.

The value of technical and financial support offered by the Department to local councils and their communities is illustrated by the protection resulting from major mitigation projects completed with assistance under the NSW Government Floodplain Management Program.

Rural flooding can have major benefits such as increasing the fertility of arable land, generating large - scale nutrient cycling, and triggering widespread invertebrate and aquatic plant production, fish and waterbird breeding and regeneration of floodplain vegetation. It can also cause substantial crop, pasture and livestock losses and damage to on farm and public infrastructure. Landholders can incur considerable costs in managing their properties during floods and in re-establishing production following floods. Damage to public infrastructure such as rural roads and bridges during floods can also be a considerable burden on local communities.

As an example, widespread flooding in inland NSW, in the Spring of 2000, caused extensive damage to cropland with some $600 million in total grain crop losses. Total damages to infrastructure including roads, railways, power, communications, and farm equipment and fencing was approximated at $200 million.

In NSW, the average damage from rural flooding is estimated at some $50 million a year. Rural Floodplain Management Plans prepared by DNR for the western rural areas of NSW aim to strike a balance between the need to protect assets and livelihood and the need to support the natural functions of floodplain ecosystems.

Table 1 – Years in which significant floods occurred prior to 2001

RIVER SYSTEM	YEARS
Adelong/Tarcutta Cks	1984	1983
Bega	1971	1934	1919	1898	1873	1870
Bellinger	1974	1954	1950	1946	1876	1875	1870
Berkeley Vale	1981	1978
Billabong Creek	1984	1974	1956	1952	1931	1891
Bogan	1992	1990	1976	1955	1950	1928	1920	1896	1892	1890	1875
Border Rivers	1996	1988	1983	1976	1956	1921	1890
Brunswick	1987	1978	1954
Camden Haven	1995	1980	1974	1963	1956	1929
Castlereagh	1974	1971	1955	1950	1920
Clarence	1996	1967	1963	1954	1950	1893	1890	1887
Coffs Creek	1996	1991	1977	1974
Cooks	1961	1956	1889
Darling	1998	1990	1976	1974	1956	1950	1890	1864
Erina Creek	1990	1989	1988	1978
Fairy Ck (Wollongong)	1998	1991	1984	1975	1974	1961	1959	1958	1950
Georges	1988	1986	1956	1950	1949	1914	1898	1873
Gwydir/ Mehi	1984	1976	1974	1971	1956	1955	1950	1949	1921	1910
Hastings	1968	1954	1950	1929	1894	1864
Hawkesbury	1990	1978	1964	1961	1956	1900	1879	1870	1867	1817	1809
Hunter & Patterson	1992	1990	1978	1971	1955	1952	1949	1930	1893	1820
Lachlan	1998	1993	1990	1976	1974	1961	1956	1952	1951	1916	1891
Lake Macquarie	1990	1981	1964
Macintyre	1996	1991	1983	1976	1956	1921	1890
Macleay	1963	1950	1949	1921	1893	1875	1864
Macquarie	1990	1986	1971	1964	1956	1955	1952	1950	1941	1926	1890
Macquarie Rivulet	1998	1991	1984	1975	1959	1930
Manning	1990	1978	1930	1929	1895	1875	1866
Moruya	1975	1925	1914	1898	1870
Mullet Creek	1984	1978	1975	1961	1955	1950	1930
Murray	1993	1992	1981	1980	1978	1975	1974	1956	1931	1917	1870
Murrumbidgee	1993	1974	1956	1952	1931	1925	1905	1894	1891	1870	1852
Nambucca	1974	1963	1954	1950	1890
Namoi	1990	1984	1976	1974	1971	1964	1955	1920	1910	1900	1864
Narara Creek	1992	1989	1988	1985
Parramatta	1988	1986
Peel	1984	1962	1955	1910	1864
Prospect Creek	1988	1986	1956
Richmond	1989	1974	1962	1956	1954	1945	1893
Shoalhaven	1990	1988	1978	1925	1916	1873	1870	1860
South & Eastern Cks	1988	1986	1956
Tweed	1989	1974	1956	1954	1931
Warrego/Paroo	1997	1990
Northern Wollongong	1998	1991	1988	1985	1978	1975	1974
Woronora	1956	1950	1949	1933
Wyong	1964	1949	1930	1927